The present invention relates in general to an article for removing random dyes from laundry washing applications, and more particularly, to a dye scavenging article for scavenging extraneous random dyes from laundry washing solutions during a complete laundering cycle, including both wash and rinse waters.
Undesirable dye staining of textile articles during laundering occurs when articles which have been dyed with dyes of poor wash fastness are washed together with articles which are either undyed or with articles dyed with dyes which have adequate fastness to washing. This problem, commonly known as "fading", results in the dye of one article bleeding onto an article of another color. If dye staining or bleeding occurs, the articles affected may be rendered unsuitable for further use unless rewashed with suitable oxidizing agents, such as chlorine bleaches, so as to remove the unwanted color. Unfortunately, many types of fabrics are not suitable for treatment with harsh oxidizing agents. This problem becomes more difficult since articles from which loosely held dyes are liable to bleed are not always identified nor is it possible to predict whether a dyed fabric will exhibit adequate wash fastness merely by visual examination.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problem of dye staining or fading. For example, Coe, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,257 discloses the use of high molecular weight polyquaternary ammonium compounds as dye staining inhibitors. The dye staining inhibitors are employed as part of the soap or detergent composition suitable for washing textile articles. In Edwards, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,364, there is disclosed the use of tertiary polymeric amines which function as anionic dye scavengers. The polymeric amines are chemically affixed on the surface of a substrate material such as cellulosic materials, for example, cotton in any of its forms, purified cotton cellulose, cellulose sponge and the like. To affix the polymeric amines, the cotton substrate is modified by phosphorylation and chemisorption of the polymeric amine. In Edwards' related U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,110, there is disclosed the use of both the tertiary polymeric amines and quaternary ammonium compounds as the dye scavenging material. The latter Edwards patent discloses other processes for chemically affixing the dye scavenger compounds to a cellulosic material substrate also for use in controlling undesirable random dyes in a liquid bath such as when laundering textile articles. For example, the hydroxylated surface of the cellulosic material is chemically modified to establish anionic functional groups. Each of the anionic functional groups are capable of chemically binding nitrogen compounds such as the aforementioned disclosed dye scavenger compounds.
In Kleinschmidt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,321 there is disclosed a dye scavenging article for scavenging anionic dyes released from dyed fabrics being laundered to prevent dye transfer during the laundry process. The dye scavenging article includes a support matrix such as a polyurethane material to which there is chemically bonded a dye scavenging compound. The dye scavenging compound includes polyquaternary ammonium compounds.
Claiborne, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,453 discloses generally the use of N-trisubstituted ammonium-2-hydroxy-3 -halopropyl compounds and salts of epoxy propyl ammonium as dye scavenger compounds. The preferred dye scavenger compound is glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride which is applied to, adsorbed by or impregnated in the cellulosic material substrate. The resulting cellulosic material substrate is disclosed as being suitable for use in conventional washing machines for laundering clothes to eliminate random dyes from the wash and rinse waters, thereby eliminating undesirable discoloration of the clothes from fading of dyes from other clothes in the washing machine.
There is therefore known the use of a number of dye scavenger compounds, for example, quaternary ammonium compounds and tertiary polymeric amines, and polymers thereof, which are chemically affixed to a cellulosic material substrate for use in laundry machines for dye scavenging. The dye scavenger compounds disclosed in the aforementioned patents are incorporated herein by reference.
In Johnson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,476 there is disclosed an article for removing extraneous, random free-flowing dyes from laundry washing applications. The laundry article includes two components, a dye absorber and a dye transfer inhibitor which are introduced into the wash water via a support matrix. The dye absorber is chemically attached to the support matrix to maintain a relational association during the laundry washing application. On the other hand, the dye transfer inhibitor is released from the support matrix into the wash water to be evenly distributed during the laundry washing application.
Materials disclosed in Johnson, et al. which are suitable as dye absorbers for the laundry article include quaternary N-substituted ammonium)-hydroxy-haloalkyl compounds such as 2-hydroxy-3-chloropropoyltrimethylammonium chloride; polyquaternary ammonium compounds; polyamphoterics; quaternized starches; proteins; chitin or its hydrolyzed form, chitosna; choline chloride; polyvinyl amine (PVAm); polyethylene imine (PEI); as well as combinations thereof. Dye transfer inhibitors include polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl imidazole, polyamine-N-oxides, cationic starches, magnesium aluminate, hydrotalcite, proteins, hydrolyzed proteins, polyethylene imines, polyvinyl oxazolidone, enzymes, oxidants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, propylene oxide reaction products, polyamino acids, block co-polymers of alkylene oxides, polyamines, polyamides, methyl cellulose, carboxyalkyl, celluloses, guar gum, natural gums, alginic acid, polycarboxylic acids, cyclodextrins and mixtures thereof.
In order for a laundry article to be effective to as a dye scavenger, it is required that the article be free to circulate within the washing machine to be exposed to the entire volume of wash and rinse waters. In the event the laundry article becomes trapped or commingled within the clothing, the article would only be exposed to a small portion of the wash or rinse waters. As a result, extraneous random dye within the wash or rinse waters would be free to redeposit on clothing items being laundered. This dye transfer can cause undesirable discoloration resulting in unsatisfactory appearance of clothing being laundered, particularly, when the clothes are of a different color than the random dye.
There is known from Dugger, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,131, a laundry additive dispenser which is removably attached to a laundry machine agitator. In Dugger, et al., a pouch is formed for receiving a laundry additive to be released during the rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine. By way of example, the disclosed additives can be bleaches, soil release finishers, rinsing aids, freshening aids, anti-bacterial agents, anti-static agents, anti-pilling agents, fabric strengthening agents, stain removal agents, water softening materials, anti-yellowing agents, etc. The dispenser is removably attached to the agitator of a washing machine by a rectangular top section having an enlarged opening. In an alternative embodiment, a pair of flexible strips are attached to the dispenser so as to tie the dispenser to the agitator. Other attachment examples are disclosed, for example, the use of wire, string, foil, water, impermeable glue or adhesive for attaching the dispenser to the agitator. The dispenser is operative during the rinse cycle only as the centrifugal force created during the spin cycle causes the dispenser to open via a rupturable seal thereby discharging its contents after the wash period.
There is also known from Baker, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,586, a water insoluble, water permeable pouch containing a detergent composition to be dispensed only during the wash cycle. The detergent composition may include other laundry aids such as bleach activators, flow aids, suds boosters, dyes, germacides, enzymes, chelating agents, etc. The pouch is releasably attached over the agitator by means of elongated strips which form a circular loop so as to be loosely fitted over the agitator. The detergent composition and/or other laundry aids dissolve out of the water permeable pouch by the force of the agitator and the wash water.
The laundry additive dispenser of Dugger, et al. and the pouch of Baker, et al. are not suitable for use as a dye scavenging article. In particular, as the dye scavenging compounds are water soluble, they must be chemically bonded to a support matrix to prevent their dissolving in the wash and rinse waters. On the other hand, the laundry additives and detergent compositions of Dugger, et al. and Baker, et al. rely upon their water solubility for dispensing during the rinse and wash cycles. Still further, the laundry additive dispenser of Dugger, et al. and detergent pouch of Baker, et al. are operative only for dispensing the laundry aids during a selected cycle during the laundry washing process, i.e., either the rinse cycle or the wash cycle. Thus, neither Baker, et al. nor Dugger, et al. provide for the treatment of both the wash and rinse waters for all cycles of the washing process.
In addition to the foregoing prior art, Haffner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,303 discloses a hook for holding soiled articles in a water closet for cleaning. Clarke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,293 discloses a water-permeable, water-insoluble bag containing a laundry aid such as a detergent powder for use in a washing machine. Hortel, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,326 discloses a single sheet, pouch or bag supporting a soil release polymer which contains a detergent and/or breaching composition. Mizusawa, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,917 discloses a wash additive article such as a fabric softener which is supported on top of the washing machine agitator for ejection into the rinse water during the high speed spinning of the agitator. Filapak, U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,530 and Bochan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,021, each disclose dispensers attached to the laundry machine agitator which are operative by the centrifugal force created during the spin cycle. Lucas, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,993 discloses a porous cotton bag which is initially attached to the laundry machine agitator and discharged into the wash water by the centrifugal force created during the spin cycle.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there exists the need to develop a dye scavenging article for use in washing machines and the like which will prevent its being trapped and/or commingled with the clothing being washed during the entire laundry cycle, including both the wash and rinse cycles. In the absence of the laundry article being free to circulate within the washing machine so as to be exposed to the entire volume of wash and rinse waters, the article will be ineffective as a dye scavenger.